Project Runaway REVAMP
by Angeli-Ii-Demoni
Summary: A sailor tossed overboard in the middle of a storm wakes up to find herself in unfamiliar land. Yet, when she makes it to civilization, she realizes that it may not be as unfamiliar as she initially thought. Self-insert. Modified version of my original story, Project Runaway. Potentially SelfxJade
1. Chapter 1

_The universe has a sick sense of humor._

That was Elizabeth's first thought as she opened her eyes. She had thought her life was over when she fell overboard. Surrender had washed over her like a warm blanket as her consciousness faded. She was ready for the end.

Yet, when she opened her eyes, she saw no angels riding puffy white clouds or children running around in luminous white robes. Instead, gentle waves licked her feet and sand clung to her body. She could feel her pale skin already burned by vicious UV rays and wished she had sunscreen.

As she took in her surroundings, however, Elizabeth wished she had more than just sunscreen. In fact, an entire camping set would be nice. It appeared that civilization was a good distance away. There was what appeared to be a city on the horizon, but it would take hours to reach on foot, especially considering the fact that Elizabeth's stomach was growling viciously and she suspected she was dehydrated.

Still, now that she knew she was alive, Elizabeth couldn't lie there and wait for death to come for her. She had been given a second chance and would make the most of it.

It wasn't a complete redo, however. Elizabeth still had to find a way to get in contact with her ship to let them know that she was still alive. Even if they thought she was dead and would have left her alone, she knew it was her duty to report her current status and let her chain of command decide what to do with her.

And, to do that, she had to get to that city on the horizon.

As she trudged along, Elizabeth contemplated her situation further. How had she managed to wash up in such a beautiful place? The majority of the land seemed untouched by man. Most of the plants were unfamiliar to Elizabeth, but she figured that would be the case since she was most likely in a foreign country. Her coveralls with "U.S. Navy" embroidered above the left breast pocket and steel-toed boots suddenly seemed heavier, especially the ocean-soaked boots. It was a wonder that no one had spotted her and opened fire. She _had_ fallen just off the coast of Saudi Arabia.

In fact, now that she thought about it, the land itself looked nothing like Saudi Arabia. Everything was green and lush, almost tropical. The only sand in sight was on the beach. There were no signs of ships on the horizon or ports other than the city that was slowly coming into view. Though Elizabeth hardly knew what the exact dimensions of the Saudi peninsula were, she knew it couldn't stretch as far as she saw now.

Slowly, the sun began to set and Elizabeth sighed a breath of relief. She knew her sunburn had to be getting bad and the heat was draining her of what little hydration she had left. With the setting of the sun, she would be able to move at a much quicker pace and hopefully reach the city at a decent hour.

Once there, she would be able to access her bank account and hopefully find a hotel room to shower in and call her ship. She would also have to find new clothes to wear since it was outside regulation to wear coveralls off the ship. Still figuring the area to be somewhat Middle Eastern, Elizabeth winced. She would most likely have to wear a veil for the duration of her stay simply to appear culturally aware and considerate.

Within a couple hours of sunset, Elizabeth reached the stone bridge leading into the city. The design itself was beautiful, intricately carved with a style she had never seen back in America. It seemed almost Victorian, yet modern and infused with writing in a language Elizabeth had not seen before. Of course, there were plenty of languages she hadn't seen before.

As she approached the other side of the bridge, she could see men standing guard. Of course, that wasn't what startled Elizabeth. It was the fact that they were wearing pale blue armor and carrying swords. Her pulse quickened, though she knew any trained military member would not draw a weapon without probable cause. There was no reason to attack an obviously unarmed person. Right?

"Excuse me," Elizabeth started, hoping politeness would help her case. "I don't know where I am. I fell overboard during a storm and washed up ashore a couple miles from here. I need to contact my chain of command and find a way back to my ship. Is there anyone in town that can help?"

Both guards eyed her curiously, but apparently couldn't think of any real reason to deny her access to the city.

"If you wait here for another couple minutes, I can take you to our base and you can contact your command from there," one offered.

Elizabeth smiled gratefully and thanked the guard.

"Out of curiosity, where exactly am I?" she asked, hoping to start a conversation. The other guard, the one who hadn't said anything looked incredulous.

"You don't recognize it?" he said, looking around at the pale walls and intricate carvings. "We are in the Malkuth Capital, Grand Chokmah."

Elizabeth stared at the guard incredulously. She dared not voice the thoughts floating through her head but the sheer thought that she was in a fictional world was too much. The combination of her confusion, dehydration, and heat exhaustion soon proved too much for her and she collapsed.

The guards immediately rushed to her aid, one moving forward to protect the scene from any curious onlookers and the other went to check her vitals. She was still breathing, but her pulse was weak and her skin had grown clammy. Immediately, he scooped Elizabeth up into his arms and made his way through the crowd to the inn. It didn't take long since the crowd parted immediately upon seeing the soldier move with such haste.

When she awoke, Elizabeth saw that she was in a standard hospital bed in a small, plain white room. There was no trace of an IV or any of the standard hospital monitoring equipment, however, and Elizabeth grew worried. What kind of place had hospital beds but none of the other equipment? Certainly not a legitimate hospital.

Finding her strength had returned, Elizabeth sat up and hung her legs over the side of the bed, eager to get out of wherever she was. But, as she soon realized, she was wearing nothing save for a thin hospital gown that showed more than she would like people to see. So, she tucked her legs back under the blanket and lay back down.

Before long, there was a knock at the door and a kindly young woman entered. Elizabeth was struck by her small, bright blue eyes and blond hair pulled back into a relaxed yet professional updo and a thin, petite frame.

"Thank goodness you're awake," she said with a smile. "We had healers in with you all night. No matter how long they stayed, you didn't seem to be getting better." The young woman paused, looking at Elizabeth thoughtfully. "You seem to be doing quite well now, though. I'll go fetch the Colonel. He seems to have taken an interest in your case, though I have no idea why. Stay right here, ok?"

The young woman left before Elizabeth could say a word. She had no idea why a colonel would be interested in her case, particularly because she didn't think she had much of a "case" to begin with. And just what did that woman mean by "healers?" Did she mean doctors? Somehow, Elizabeth didn't think the problem was the woman's English.

Before long, there was another knock at the door and a tall man with long, brown hair and glasses entered. Elizabeth was dumbstruck. She knew exactly who he was. And that was the problem. She knew exactly who the colonel was and that the guards had not been mistaken.

Elizabeth had somehow managed to wash up just outside Grand Chokmah and was now staring into the crimson eyes of Jade Curtiss.

"Tell me something," he started, picking up the medical charts hanging at the foot of the bed. "How is it that a Seventh Fonist lacks the ability to heal herself?"

Elizabeth took a deep breath before answering.

"Many Seventh Fonists do not know how," she replied. Jade raised an eyebrow and Elizabeth swore he was mocking her.

"Ah, well, that explains everything," Jade said, turning from her to the blinds hiding bright rays of sunshine. "Particularly that strange uniform you were found wearing."

"I'm a sailor," Elizabeth answered simply. "I wear a uniform. I didn't realize that was so strange."

"Oh, the fact that you wore a uniform isn't strange at all," Jade agreed, flipping though the charts once more. "The statements from both soldiers around the time you collapsed, however, suggest that you are not from Malkuth."

"What makes you say that?"

"You didn't recognize Grand Chokmah," he replied simply.

"So? I bet a lot of people don't recognize the city when it's their first time seeing it."

"Not for a sailor. Particularly since every ship in Malkuth makes port in Grand Chokmah. In fact, until recently, Kimlasca also had many ships stop here as well," Jade added as an afterthought.

Elizabeth sighed. Of course, she knew everything Jade was saying to be true simply from beating the game, _Tales of the Abyss_. Still, a video game and real life were completely different and, as she saw it, should stay that way.

Besides, how was she supposed to explain that she came from an alternate reality in which this entire world was simply a work of fiction meant to be entertainment for teenagers? Surely he wouldn't believe her. Even if Jade somehow managed to accept that she was being honest, how would it affect him? Elizabeth thought that, if she had found that her world was just cheap entertainment for people who took it for granted, she would feel her entire existence cheapened almost to the point of becoming meaningless. She wouldn't risk hurting Jade that way.

"I'm from a very small ship," she said, feeling far more comfortable with half-truths than outright lies. "We don't visit many ports. We don't have the funds for it. Not to mention the fact that our parts are very hard to come across since we're so old. Since Grand Chokmah isn't a good place for picking up these parts, we don't stop here. We usually go somewhere more like Belkend."

"You're Kimlascan?" Jade asked, sounding more curious than suspicious.

"No, but our ship uses their parts. We're neutral," Elizabeth explained. "Our ship is, well, one of a kind. It's the first of its class."

Jade noted the hint of pride in her voice and felt somewhat at ease. It was the same pride he heard in the voices of his soldiers when they thought he wasn't around. Though he still was uncertain of her purpose in coming to Grand Chokmah, something told him she wasn't dangerous. Just unusual, a mystery asking to be solved.

Jade never ignored those sorts of puzzles.

"So, out of curiosity, why didn't I heal right away? I thought Seventh Fonists healed instantly."

Jade nodded. "It is, indeed, unusual. Each of the healers reported that all the Seventh Fonons in the room were being drawn into your body, leaving none for them to utilize to heal you. What's more, you did not heal yourself."

Elizabeth drew in a deep breath and let out a long sigh. She wrapped her arms around her knees, not knowing what else to do. She knew the effects of using the Seventh Fonon if one wasn't a Seventh Fonist from learning Jade's past in the game, but what happened to those who absorbed them without using them? Would she eventually explode, like an over-pressurized balloon? Would she just keep absorbing them until there was nothing left? Would it affect Van's plans for a replica world?

There were so many questions running through her head that Elizabeth didn't hear Jade speak.

"What?" she asked, lifting her head from her knees.

"I asked for your name. Neither of the guards managed to get it before you passed out."

"Elizabeth," she answered. "Elizabeth Harvelle."


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, Elizabeth woke in a cold sweat. Her fingers trembled, caught in the thin hospital blanket that was tangled around the rest of her body. The images from her nightmare still danced in her mind, warping her sense of reality.

There had been a thousand corpses littering a bloodstained battlefield and she alone stood in the middle. She knew they were all dead because of her, yet she did not weep. She merely waited. She still had one man left to kill.

Lucian Fende.

As she sat clutching her blanket close, Elizabeth tried to recall other details of the nightmare. A kind-looking young man with silver hair pulled into a tight ponytail and a woman with a severe expression and long, curly brown hair had warned her against leaving alone, but she didn't listen. She had known it was her duty to handle Fende alone. She couldn't ask them to risk their lives for her any more.

"Are you all right?"

Elizabeth looked up and found a young man with short silver hair peering through the door uncertainly. He looked uncannily like the young man from her dream.

"Er, yes, I'm fine," Elizabeth replied, letting go of her blanket. "I just had a nightmare, that's all."

The young man's nervous expression relaxed and he stepped inside. "I'm Brigadier General Aslan Frings. Colonel Curtiss told me you had expressed an interest in becoming a Malkuth citizen. Before we can get started on the paperwork, I need to ask you a few questions, just to make sure you aren't a spy for Kimlasca or anything like that."

"You actually think I could be a spy?" Elizabeth asked incredulously. "Wow. You guys must really think highly of me. I don't think I could sneak around the corner without getting caught!"

Frings smiled. "Well, even so, I do have to ask a few questions. It's part of the process, after all."

Elizabeth nodded. She was used to procedures that made no sense.

"First of all, were you born in Kimlascan territory?"

"No."

"Do you have family or loved ones in Kimlasca?"

"No."

"Have you sworn loyalty to Kimlasca?"

"No."

"Are you willing to side with Malkuth, regardless of the situation?"

Elizabeth looked at Frings questioningly. She knew she had essentially sworn to the same thing when she had joined the Navy, but it felt strange to hear it out loud. Before she thought about it any longer, however, Frings broke out into a huge grin.

"I'm just kidding. You don't have to answer that," Frings said, bringing a sigh of relief from Elizabeth. "Don't worry, we wouldn't ask that of you unless you were joining the military."

Elizabeth laughed. If only he knew that, where she was from, she was an active member of the military.

"Yeah, I guess I'm not doing that, am I?"

Later that afternoon, after receiving some spare clothes from one of the healers, Elizabeth went for a walk around Grand Chokmah. She passed the Emperor's palace, trying not to show just how impressed she was by its beauty. She had, of course, seen it in the game, but the artists had simply not done it justice. She wondered what it looked like inside, if, like the outside, it was even more beautiful than she remembered.

Her stroll took her along the outer edge of the city, along the waterfront. She recognized some of the buildings that she had been allowed inside in the game, passing the pier and eventually reaching the bridge to the outer world. She wondered if she could simply leave now, if there would be some sort of invisible barrier preventing her from exiting the way the game would sometimes do. Perhaps some stranger would tell her it was unwise to leave and she would have no choice but to turn back.

Elizabeth laughed to herself and stepped onto the bridge. But, as soon as she did so, she recalled the walk from the beach to the city. Without the proper supplies, she would likely end up the same as she did that day. And, of course, she had absolutely no gald to her name to purchase said supplies.

With that in mind, Elizabeth headed back to the hospital, where she was directed to the military base to meet with Jade and Frings. Her citizenship papers were ready to be signed.

Upon her arrival, Elizabeth found that only Jade was waiting for her. He wore his usual unreadable expression and Elizabeth suddenly felt herself become afraid. Had they changed their mind? What if Jade had decided she was actually a Kimlascan spy?

Jade, however, merely stood from the desk in the center of the room and moved to hand her a small stack of papers. As soon as Elizabeth took them, he turned away from her.

"Are these the citizenship papers?" she asked.

"Yes. I've marked the places you need to sign."

Elizabeth looked down at the papers. Despite the unusual writing system used in Auldrant, she found she could read it easily. Taking a pen from the desk, she quickly skimmed through the papers and signed.

"Is that it?"

Jade didn't respond for a while and Elizabeth grew nervous once more. Just as she started to consider leaving, he turned to face her, a puzzling expression on his face. On one hand, he seemed to dominate the room, his eyes watching everything. Something deeper, however, seemed to suggest he was afraid, something Elizabeth hadn't thought possible.

"I have a favor I would like to ask of you," Jade said finally. "However, before I can ask this of you, I need to know that whatever is said in this room is completely confidential. Is that understood?"

Elizabeth nodded, trying to think of what he could possibly want from her.

"I would like you to escort a messenger to King Ingobert of Kimlasca. You see, we are on the brink of war and His Majesty, Emperor Peony, has expressed a desire for the conflict to end before it begins. To do that, however, we need a neutral messenger, one who is not of Kimlasca or Malkuth."

"The Fon Master," Elizabeth said softly and Jade raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

"How did you know that?" he asked sharply, stepping toward her with such a fierce aura that Elizabeth grew weak in the chest.

"W-well, he's the only one that could possibly match your description that the King would listen to," Elizabeth answered, hoping he would buy her response. She didn't want to explain that she knew all about the message to Kimlasca and how Ion and Anise were in Malkuth even though the rest of the Order thought they were missing.

Jade still seemed uncertain, but continued to explain the situation. Of course, she wouldn't be going alone. He would be with her as well as the entire crew of the Tartarus and Ion's personal guardian.

"But why have _me_ go with you?" Elizabeth asked, genuinely confused. "I'm not anyone important. There are so many other people you could ask to accompany you."

"The Fon Master might know something about your condition," Jade explained. "Unfortunately, this is an urgent matter and takes priority. However, if you were to accompany the Fon Master to Baticul, you may be able to speak with him throughout the trip."

Elizabeth thought she saw something else play behind Jade's eyes, a darkness tinged with what appeared to be remorse. She wondered what had triggered such an odd look, but didn't dare ask. It hardly seemed tactful and, besides, Jade likely wouldn't answer honestly to a stranger. He rarely opened up to his closest friends. Which brought up another question.

"Wait, why are you going out of your way to help me? You barely know me." Elizabeth fidgeted slightly. "Not that I'm ungrateful or anything, but it just doesn't make sense. People don't help people for no reason, you know?"

"I have my reasons," Jade conceded. "However, until we reach Baticul, I would prefer to keep them to myself. There are still some things that are still unclear at the moment. You understand, of course."

"Yeah, of course I do. Thanks, then." She turned to leave, still puzzled by Jade's words. How could he have reasons for bringing her along with him if he truly believed she was a typical sailor? Of course, Elizabeth considered the possibility that he didn't believe her, which did seem to her typical of Jade. Still, the thought was troubling.

"Before you go, I think it would be wise to prepare for a journey on foot."

Elizabeth froze, startled out of her thoughts by Jade's voice. Of course, she had thought the same thing when she thought of running, but she didn't have any money or a weapon she knew how to use.

Jade smirked, as though he knew exactly what she was thinking and reached into his pocket. "This ought to cover some basic travel items and a few spare clothes, maybe something a bit more durable."

"Ok, this is just plain weird. I mean, you're being so kind," Elizabeth said, taking a small pouch filled with coins. "I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but this just doesn't seem like something you'd normally do."

Jade raised an eyebrow. "Seeing as we have just barely met, I wouldn't think you would know what I would normally do."

Elizabeth blushed, looking away from his face. Something about his gaze seemed too piercing and she struggled to come up with a decent excuse, stumbling over her words the way she did back in high school when she had a crush.

"Meet back here by sunset. We'll depart tonight as soon as the sun goes down."

After wandering around town for an hour, Elizabeth soon realized there wasn't much that she could buy in terms of armor or weaponry. She did manage to find a kind elderly woman who gave her an outstanding deal on apple gels and even gave her a leather knapsack to carry them in.

Clothes, on the other hand, proved to be quite the challenge. It seemed that Grand Chokmah didn't cater to women of her shape any more than the malls back home. Women in Malkuth, it seemed, weren't very curvy, either. She wondered if Tear ever had problems finding clothes in her size, too. Granted, Elizabeth didn't have the chest Tear did, but their hips seemed pretty similar.

Eventually, Elizabeth settled on a pair of low-heeled tan boots that came up to the middle of her calves, forest green pants with an almost Celtic-looking design down the sides, and an off-white blouse that clung tightly to her arms, but hung loosely everywhere else. She wore fingerless leather gloves on her arms that laced all the way up to her elbows.

She was about to head back when a small shop caught her eye. At first, she thought it was a simple jewelry store. When she entered, however, Elizabeth saw that they were, in fact, capacity cores. Curious to see just what there was, she soon struck up a conversation with the owner, a middle-aged man who had just inherited the shop from his deceased father. He said that his father had made capacity cores all his life and had left more than he honestly thought he could sell and had reduced the price on all of them as a result.

She browsed around for a while before something caught her eye. It was a small pair of earrings shaped like tiny stars. She turned them over and was shocked to find she could read the words burned into the backs. One was strength and the other was agility. If things turned out the way they did in the game, she might end up needing them. With all her remaining gald, Elizabeth bought the earrings and immediately put them on. She didn't feel any different.

Elizabeth just barely made it back in time. As it turned out, Grand Chokmah was a _very_ large city. Though she wouldn't have guessed it under normal circumstances, she thought Jade looked very uncomfortable, fidgety for a man who so rarely made a move that wasn't carefully calculated hours in advance. That wasn't to say Jade was slow; far from it. It just always seemed as though he knew everything before it happened.

"Ok, I'm ready."


	3. Chapter 3

_This is a thousand times better than my old ship._

Elizabeth soon realized, however, that she missed the familiarity of her ship. Even though she didn't have many she considered friends, knowing the names and faces of those around her had its merits. She now knew how tech reps felt, knowing how the gear worked but not the social dynamic.

The only major difference was that she _didn't_ know how the gear worked.

Another difference was that she was a guest of the commanding officer. Her primary concern was tactical, not technical, if she had any part in the operation of the Tartarus.

Yet Elizabeth was constantly asking watchstanders on the bridge how everything worked. To see and understand how the flow of fonons mimicked the flow of electricity and fuel intrigued her. Secretly, she wished she could simply be a technician in this world while still retaining her knowledge of her own world. Comparing the two was by far the most interesting thing she had done with her training.

Eventually, however, Jade pulled her aside. Although he was glad her questions kept his technicians on their feet, there were other things he wanted her to focus on.

Ion had finally come up to the bridge.

Though the game had often portrayed Ion as being extremely feminine, Elizabeth saw that his face very much resembled a teenage boy. Minus the acne issue. His pale face didn't look sickly at all, but rather of porcelain, like a doll and his eyes were the most brilliant emerald color Elizabeth had ever seen.

"Ah, you must be the colonel's assistant," he said, the kindest smile on his face. "Elizabeth, right?"

"Er, yeah, that's right," Elizabeth answered, forgetting that she wasn't actually Jade's assistant. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Fon Master."

Ion blushed, the color bringing liveliness to his face that Elizabeth had to admit suited him better than his usual flawless pale color.

"Please, just call me Ion. That kind of formality doesn't seem to suit you." Ion turned to Jade. "I see what you mean. I've never seen something quite like this. I'm afraid there might not be anything I can do aside from teaching her some basic artes with the Seventh Fonon. But, even then, my knowledge is limited. It would be best to find another Seventh Fonist to teach her."

"Well, I shouldn't have to wait too long, then," Elizabeth muttered, remembering that they would soon run into Tear and Luke.

Jade eyed her curiously, but remained silent. It wouldn't do to interrogate her in front of the Fon Master. There was something about her, however, that set him ill at ease. He suspected it was the way she seemed so comfortable in his presence when so many were afraid. To him, that signaled a danger worse than anything he had faced so far.

Elizabeth's thoughts, however, were as far from Jade Curtiss as possible. All sorts of things about the game were coming back to her. Yulia and the Score. Van's insane plan. Ion's sacrifice. Luke and Asch. The Core and Yulia City. Akzeriuth's fall.

Elizabeth started to wonder just what would become of her. Everyone in the game had some special contribution to the story, but what did she have? Knowledge of the future. But, if she revealed that information, wouldn't she just be acting as a replacement for the Score? And wasn't the Score the thing they were trying to move away from, to stop?

At that moment, Elizabeth resolved to stop Akzeriuth from falling. There had to be something she could do, something that would alter the future for the better. Surely her presence alone would be enough to cause the Score to be invalid. And, even if it weren't, there were always the replicas, too.

Ion and Luke could save the world if she failed.

Shaking her head vigorously, Elizabeth also decided to stop thinking about if she failed. Only planning for success would allow her to succeed.

"So, Ion, may I ask why you decided to leave the Order with only one guardian?" Elizabeth asked. She knew somewhere he explained it, perhaps with Tear and Luke in the Cheagle Woods, but the fine details were still hazy.

"Oh, Anise?" Ion asked. "You've met her already?"

"Er, no, but I heard that you left without the usual large escort," Elizabeth explained. Unease at telling so many half-truths swept over her, but she managed to maintain her composure.

"I'm afraid I can't explain just yet," Ion said apologetically. "But, if you're concerned about my safety, please, don't worry. Anise and Jade are quite capable."

Elizabeth grinned. She knew all too well how capable the two of them were. Even if one of them managed to get thrown from the Tartarus and the other was hit with a fon slot seal.

_Well, not yet, anyway,_ she reminded herself.

At that moment, a call came up to the bridge for Jade. Apparently there was a message from a nearby outpost of a classified nature and, since Elizabeth didn't have the clearance to be included in the matter, Jade asked her to wait in the room he'd had prepared. He would come speak to her after a course of action had been decided on.

Elizabeth nodded and promptly excused herself. She knew from experience that lingering when unwanted was hazardous to her health. However, as soon as she started down the stairwell, Elizabeth realized she hadn't asked directions. What's more, the ship was much larger than in the game.

"How do I always manage to get myself lost?" Elizabeth wondered aloud, not realizing there were other people in the passageway. Her face reddened and she quickened her pace, making a mental note to keep her thoughts to herself.

Wandering around, as it turned out, was the perfect way to kill time. She eventually ran into one of the technicians standing watch on the bridge and followed him back up to the bridge where Jade was waiting with an amused smirk.

"Well, I suppose there are worse places you could have gotten lost," he said with a shrug. "In any case, now that you've decided to grace us with your presence," Jade turned and spoke with the helmsman, then turned back to Elizabeth. "We have a slight change of plans. The Dark Wings have been sighted in the area and we have received temporary tasking. We are to monitor the area for a couple days in case they show."

"Knowing my luck, they will," Elizabeth said with a sigh. "They aren't particularly bright, though, so we might be all right."

"Ah, you know the enemy? Care to share what information you have?" Jade asked, giving Elizabeth the impression that he would know everything she knew.

"Oh, I doubt a civilian knows more than you, Colonel," Elizabeth replied with a grin. Jade wasn't the only one allowed to ooze sarcasm. "Particularly one with such an addled brain as mine."

"Interesting theory," Jade mused. "I never considered brain damage as a possible cause of your malady. Perhaps I ought to give your brain a thorough examination just in case?" He smirked, appearing more amused at having someone to banter back and forth with than anything.

"Oh, I don't think that would be a good idea," Elizabeth answered. "You see, I'm not dead yet. Those are the only brains you mess with anyway, right?"

At this point, the watchstanders had given up watching their consoles and were eyeing Jade incredulously, half wondering if he would draw the line there or if he would admit to desecrating the bodies of the dead. Jade, however, merely shrugged.

"Oddly enough, death is an easy enough thing to arrange," he answered, neither confirming nor denying the crew's silent accusations.

"Thanks, but I'll take my chances with madness," Elizabeth said, her grin widening. "Besides, all the truly great minds have been accused of madness at one point or another, no?"

"Indeed," Jade replied darkly. "Though, madness is hardly an indication of greatness. There are more mentally unstable individuals than the great."

"Yeah, no doubt about that," Elizabeth agreed. "So, can we call this one a draw? I'm getting a bit hungry."

Jade laughed, a genuine sound that Elizabeth immediately recognized as a rare gift. So few people ever saw the Necromancer in high spirits that she knew right away to appreciate the sight.

As she followed him to her quarters, Elizabeth saw that Jade moved with the authority of an admiral, or, in army ranks, a general. Every man they passed popped to attention, dropping everything they were doing to show him their respect. Or, on second thought, perhaps it was fear.

Still, they reached the guest quarters without incident and, for a moment, Elizabeth thought things were ok. Jade hadn't made any snarky remarks and she hadn't done anything stupid, so what could possibly go wrong?

"I suppose you're wondering why I brought you here," Jade started and Elizabeth had to suppress a giggle. He seemed so Evil Dictator at that moment, she couldn't help it.

"So I wouldn't get lost again?" she guessed.

"Partially," Jade conceded. "But not entirely."

One look at Jade told Elizabeth something was wrong. Of course.

"Am I in trouble or something?" she asked. Jade shrugged.

"That depends on how honest you are. Which, up until this point, has not been much," he replied sternly. Elizabeth could see she had messed up somewhere. Where, though, had she slipped up?

"What do you mean?" she asked, hoping to buy some time. She had to think, there had to be some way out of this mess. Maybe Jade would let it go if she asked him. On second thought, he wouldn't.

"Who are you?"

"I already told you. My name is Elizabeth Harvelle. I'm a sailor," she answered. "Why don't you believe that?"

"Because you haven't been entirely honest with me."

"I haven't lied to you, either. Besides, if I asked you to be completely honest and open with me, would you?"

"I would spill my guts every day," Jade answered with a sarcastic smirk. Elizabeth sighed and shook her head.

"Look, I'm just not ready to talk about this. I don't even get it, myself," Elizabeth turned to gaze out the porthole to the now starry sky. She had so much on her plate it was hard for her to see how she had behaved so rationally. Years of practice, she supposed. "Even if I did understand everything, it's crazy. Like, impossible crazy. You wouldn't believe it even if it happened to you. I'm still not sure I believe it."

Jade remained silent. Several different possibilities existed in his mind, most of which he, too, considered rather insane. For a moment, he considered the possibility that his confrontation had come too soon for an answer, but something had told him she would give in. Clearly, he had been mistaken.

And Jade was not used to making mistakes.


End file.
